The present invention relates to a softening composition. Specifically, the present invention relates to a fabric softening composition for preventing and/or inhibiting the expression of malodor on fabrics.
Microorganisms can grow on a fabric article during drying, storing and wearing. Some of these microorganisms are highly infectious and may increase the health risks to the consumer, while others, especially bacteria such as S. aureus, can generate malodor. Microorganism accumulation and/or malodor generation are particularly acute for clothing items such as underwear and socks due to the favorable environment for bacterial growth (e.g., high humidity and easily-available nutrition sources). Another situation which may generate malodors is when fabrics are dried indoors. Malodor generation and accumulation during drying is especially prevalent during drying indoors because the high humidity indoors is a favorable environment for bacterial growth.
It is known to control the germ growth on fabrics, for example, by injecting antimicrobial compounds into fabrics during the weaving process to prepare antibacterial fabrics. However, the antibacterial compound may be easily washed away after multiple laundering processes, or the compound may become inactivated over time.
Further, malodors may occur in fabrics for reasons other than bacterial growth and as such, there are a large number of malodors that are deposited or absorbed onto fabrics during wear that are unaffected by the presence of an antimicrobial agent. These other malodors may include body odors, smoke, and greasy odors among others. Historically, the development of new fabric softeners has focused solely on masking or covering these malodor(s) with a perfume and few efforts have focused on preventing the occurrence or expression of these malodors. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,611, Trinh et al., issued Aug. 10, 1993, relates to a fabric softening composition containing dryer-activated cyclodextrin-perfume complexes for effectively depositing a perfume on the fabrics.
Accordingly, the need exists for an improved fabric softening composition that prevents and/or inhibits the expression of malodors that are created in or absorbed by fabrics while the fabric article is being worn and more generally, between launderings. Furthermore, the need exists for a method of preventing and/or inhibiting the expression of malodor in such articles.
The present invention relates to a clear, concentrated stable fabric softening composition comprising from about 1% to about 90% by weight of a fabric softening active; and from about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of a malodor controlling agent comprising a cyclodextrin. The present invention also relates to a method for preventing malodor and for preventing and/or inhibiting malodor by applying such a composition to a fabric article, and drying the fabric article.
It has now been found that a fabric softening composition may provide not only a superior softening benefit and a wrinkle-reducing benefit on a fabric article, but may also provide a significant malodor controlling benefit. Furthermore, the malodor controlling benefit is believed to be dispersed throughout the fabric article, e.g., on the fabric fibers themselves, rather than being limited to the surface of the fabric article. Thus, it is believed that the present composition provides significantly improved malodor control, as compared to known antimicrobial fabric softening compositions. It is also believed that the present method may co-deposit the malodor controlling agent with the softening actives during the rinse, so as to provide both a fabric softening effect and long term malodor reduction/prevention benefits. This may be especially true in the case where the malodor controlling agent is a cyclodextrin or mixture containing cyclodextrin that will prevent and/or inhibit the expression of malodor by complexing with malodor that may form or collect amongst the fibers of the article.
In a process aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for reducing and inhibiting the expression of malodors in a fabric article by applying a fabric softening composition according to the present invention and drying the fabric article. The use of the fabric softening compositions of the present invention to reduce and inhibit the expression of malodors in fabric articles is also provided.
The present invention further still provides an article for reducing or inhibiting the expression of malodor in fabric articles, the article comprising a fabric softening composition of the present invention and a set of instructions associated with the composition. The set of instructions comprising an instruction to the consumer to apply the fabric softening compositions of the present invention to their fabric articles to reduce and inhibit the expression of malodor in their fabric articles.